Clark to work with Bart

Before the San Francisco Giants send demoted catcher Joey Bart to Triple-A Sacramento, he’s working with the team’s hitting coaches to polish his swing — and one of the people who is looking forward to talking to Bart is Will Clark.

Clark, the retired Giants first baseman and one of the great hitters in San Francisco history, said Saturday that he believes he can help Bart with potential issues hitting the inside fastball, an area where he feels Bart needs work. Bart, 25, was batting .156 with 49 strikeouts in 90 at-bats when he was demoted Tuesday.

The best information Clark ever got about hitting the inside fastball came from another Giants great, Barry Bonds, who in turn got it from the greatest Giant, Willie Mays, according to Clark.

“I was having trouble with that pitch right when Barry got here, hooking it foul down the line, and he took me out before a game one day and we hit 500 balls at 1 p.m.,” Clark said, explaining that the correct approach involves pulling the hands in to get the barrel on the ball. “He learned that from Mays — so now it’s just passing that down the line.”

That’s quite a legacy that Bart might benefit from.

“I really value experience and that experience is a different and less accessible form of coaching from our coaching staff,” manager Gabe Kapler said. “To have somebody like Will or Barry around to share their personal hitting experiences goes a long way. I think it’s a very necessary extension of our coaching stuff.”

Clark, 58, enjoys working with the team’s young hitters, and he also likes getting a look at the newer members of the club, such as outfielder Luis González. Clark is a fan of González’s swing, saying, “I like it a lot, it’s very simple and direct to the ball. Great swing.”

The Giants will retire Clark’s No. 22 on July 30 at Oracle Park.